Careless driving/driver concern

[ho loy]

Dear All,

It came absolutely a shock to me when I learnt an incident from Okka and Jacquie this morning about a dog on litch leaded by a 10yrs old boy crossing the road to school was killed by a speeding bus on the zebra-crossing this morning nearby the Mui Wo post office. The dog was rolled over by the bus and luckie enough the boy let go the litch in time to save himself from being killed under the wheel. It is a second case happen within the last 8weeks on Lantau S. careless driver was not looking the road condition when they are on the stiring wheel.

I spoke to the police immediate after hearing the case. Police attitude responding to my query did not show they want to take this case seriously. I then spoke to Eric W. immediately in understanding what immediate resource we can access to the Transport Department that we can increase the level of careless driving control on the road. He stressed that since they are experienmenting the 'road block' in Tong Fok by narrowing the drive way to enforce the driver to slow down when they pass-byTong Fok. But department has not yet plan to do the same to other area for the time being. He stressed that the immediate resource they can use is to install more area for cattle warning sigh to remind driver. (Not sure how driver will look at the sigh while they can't even see the child and dog on the zebra-crossing on the road.)

I tested an option for example to increase the speed control level in all village area, where children, pet and elderlies mostly are. As far in my understanding, some of them currently is on 50kg , some is on 30kg. We don't understand why they are different, since the unevent road speed control method can't do a job to warn them the road doesn't belong to drivers, it belong to public. Public with or with a car, has the right to use the road and be respected.

Mr Wong said he can only promise to re-study the speed control in all village area, only if we can prove figure that they miss-look from their last study. For example, the data of animal death or injured caused by vehicle.


I therefore would like to invite for your comment or suggestion on the speed control issue for Lantau S. , or any other incident relating to the road speeding or driver behavior. Or if you like to report a careless driving case.

Or if you would like to support a study to review animal death or injured data, please kindly reply with: date of the incident, victim animal breed, number of victim animal, incident location, result of the animal in the case. Contact of victim owner if s/he doesn't mind to be in contact to talk more about the incident. Any photos of the incident or the victim animal.

Thank you for your attention.


Loy

[tot]

I for one am getting fed up with the reckless and poor driving whilst on or following the NLB buses.

Many times I have been a passenger on the buses and the speed of most of the bus drivers is totally unacceptable. I have asked the drivers to slow down but met with a blank expression.

Maybe we could take down the bus/license plate and submit it to someone.


I think it's about time something was put in place to curb these mindless speeding bus drivers.

[Buffalo Bill]

True.

Years ago they used to check for speeders in Pui O from the Esso station. That might be an idea?

[Natasha]

They (the police) still do that. Last week they were at the junction of South Lantau Road and Chi Ma Wan Road checking for speeders.

Wonder whether they will also check people for drink driving? The amount of people who get off the 11:30pm/12:30am/3:00am ferry, obviously after a night out in town and jump in their cars.

[ho loy]

Police will do their check up duty. But whether anyone would be prosecuted, we never know. The problem is because bus and taxi service has no competitor here. They can get away with it.

Loy

[Kawicott]

Firstly I am shocked and saddened on hearing the story about the 10 year old boy and the dog. The boy was very very lucky he did not follow the sad fate of his dog.

Does anyone (mostly drivers) know what a Zebra Crossing is and how to act when approaching one. Is there a Highway Code that Hong Kongers need to follow?
That Zebra Crossing at Mui Wo Post Office might as well not be there. Buses, lorries and most cars do not know how to react when they approach. If you are crossing there and a vehicle approaches most don't stop, some slow down in the hope you are out of the way so they actually don't have to stop. I have been on that crossing when a car just drove round me rather than wait.
Also people on bicyles do not know what the Zebra crossing is for they shoot out onto the road from the pavement regardless of pedestrians or whether any vehicles are approaching.
Do children get taught what a Zebra crossing is in schools? Do drivers answer questions on speed limits and zebra crossings when they take their driving test?

[ho loy]

The evening of 3rd March, a 3yrs old little girl was trying to cross the road with her family from the bus stop at Lo Wai, Pui O while a bus was stopping at the bus stop reloading passenger. A BMW behind the bus did not bother to wait, but over-took the bus and hit the little girl who was a step ahead of her parent coming out of that bus.

It is already my forth times witnessing/in my awareness of road incident within 8weeks. Is there anything we can do about it?

[lantau1]

Are you saying it was the fault of the driver?

From what I heard the girl ran out from a stopped bus in front of a slow moving car.